Aerosol dispenser button



J. BRIECHLE ETAL AEROSOL DI SPENSER BUTTON Filed June 9, 1964 FIG. 3

INVENTORS JOSEPH BRIECHLE OWEN F. VAN BROCKLIN ATTORNEYS.

3,226,040 AERQSOL DISPENSER BUTTON Joseph Briechle, New Canaan, Conn, and Gwen F. Van

Brocklin, Baldwin, N.Y., assignors to Scovill Mannfacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 2, 1964, Ser. No. 373,791 7 Claims. (Cl. 239-496) The present invention relates to a dispenser button or spray nozzle for effecting atomization of products from receptacles in which they are contained under super-atmospheric pressure and maintained in said receptacle by a manually operable check valve. The products, upon discharge from the receptacle, are termed aerosols.

The art of dispensing aerosols has made great strides in recent years and it has been determined that with certain formulations of products which are to be dispensed, it is necessary to break up the discharge spray as completely as possible to obtain maximum effectiveness of the active ingredients of the aerosol discharge. Recognizing the necessity of obtaining maximum break-up of the aerosol discharge, various forms of nozzles or dispenser buttons have been designed in an endeavor to accomplish this result. For various reasons however, these break-up buttons have not met with all the exacting requirements of the trade and commercial usage when one considers the cost, ease of manufacture and assembly, efficiency in operation and insurance against the failure of the break-up button to accomplish maximum atomization of the discharge.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser button which will fulfill all of the requirements recited in the preceding paragraph.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel disc which when incorporated in an aerosol dispenser button will insure maximum atomization of the discharge.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, not specifically enumerated, we accomplish by incorporating in an aerosol dispenser button having a first socket to communicate with the discharge opening of a receptacle containing the fluent material to be discharged upon operation of a valve which normally closes said opening, a duct leading from said first socket, a second or disc receiving socket in communication with said duct and a novel disc-like member fixedly mounted in said second socket, said disc-like member having a central discharge opening, an inner face formed with an annular groove, a central socket and slots radiating from said central socket to said annular groove, said annular groove and slots being so oriented with respect to the exit end of the duct as to insure flow of fluid from the first socket through all the radiating slots to the central socket and discharge opening in the disc and means on said disc-like member for facilitating such orientation.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a fractional diametrical section through an aerosol dispenser container, the discharge button of which embodies our invention;

FIG. 2 shows an axial section, on an enlarged scale, of the dispenser button embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the disc constituting an essential element of our dispenser button;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the disc shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a section taken along the plane of the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 shows a section taken along the broken line 66 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, in the various figures of which corresponding parts are identified by the same reference characters, the reference numeral 10 indicates a container of conventional design for holding fluent material under super-atmospheric pressure, on the open top of which is mounted a dispensing valve assembly 11 of any preferred construction, the valve element (not shown) of which has a tubular valve stem 12, on the outer end of which is fitted a dispenser button 13 embodying our invention.

The dispenser button 13 as herein shown consists of a body member 14 formed preferably of a molded plastic material such as polyethylene and has an axial socket 15 for engagement on the valve stem 12, a supplemental socket 16 leading from the socket 15 deeper into the button, a secondary or disc receiving cylindrical socket 17 and a duct 18 establishing communication between the sockets 16 and 17. The base 19 of the socket 17 is preferably flat and the exit end of the duct 18 debouches into the socket 17 adjacent the cylindrical wall thereof. Mounted within the socket 17 and overlying the base 19 thereof, in fluid-tight contact therewith, is a disc-like member 20 which has a central perforation 21 therein.

The disc-like member 20 is of slightly larger dimension than the cylindrical socket 17 and is preferably formed of a molded polyamide resin such as Delrin which is somewhat harder than the polyethylene of which the body of the button is formed for a purpose which will presently be explained. The disc-like member 20 on its inner face has a peripheral annular rabbet groove 22, a central socket 23 and a plurality of slots 24 radiating from the socket and terminating in the rabbet groove 22 whereat they are preferably equally spaced apart by lands 25. On the outer face of the disc-like member 20 there is formed means, which bear a definite relation to the slots 24, for mechanical engagement by means (not shown) for orienting the disc-like member and presenting it to the socket 17 in a position to insure that when the disc-like member is inserted into said socket, none of the slots 24 will be disposed in alinement with the duct 18, as such alinement will adversely affect and cause unequal distribution of fluent material from the duct to the central socket 23. By providing for substantially equal and simultaneously admission of fluent material under pressure through the radiating slots 24 to the central socket 23, the latter in cooperation with the flat base of the socket 17 will function as a whirl chamber wherein the fluent material will commingle to effect maximum atomization thereof as it is discharged through the central perforation 21 which is preferably flared outwardly as shown at 26.

The means on the outer face of the disc-like member 20 for mechanical engagement therewith, of orienting means for presenting the member 20 to said socket 17 in a relation thereto such that adjacent slots 24 will always be located out of alinement with the duct 18, is preferably in the form of diametrical rib 27 the center line 28 of which overlies and is disposed to approximately bisect the outer edges of a pair of diametrically opposed lands 25. Where the disc-like member is formed with four equally spaced slots radiating from the corners of a square socket as shown in FIG. 4 the center line 28 of the rib 27 when the disc-like member is mounted in the socket 17 should either pass through the center of the exit end of the duct 18 or be disposed perpendicular to a line passing through said exit end of said duct.

The disc-like member 20 is preferably formed with an inwardly tapered outer peripheral surface 29 which is designed to bite into the softer polyethylene of the button when said disc-like member after being oriented with respect to the duct 18 is force-fitted into the socket 17 to be securely held therein against being expelled by pressure of the aerosol propellant upon discharge.

Orientation of the disc-like members 20 for presentation to the sockets in the dispenser button members and insertion into said socket members may be carried out in any manner well known to the art of assembling small objects.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that variations in the specific construction and relation of parts as herein disclosed may be made within the scope of engineering and mechanical skill without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What we claim is:

1. An aerosol dispenser button comprising a body member having a first socket adapted to communicate with the discharge opening of a receptacle containing fluent material under super-atmospheric pressure to be discharged upon operation of a check valve which normally closes said opening, a second socket, a duct providing fluid communication between said first and second sockets, a disclike member securely mounted in said second socket and having a central discharge opening therethrough, the inner face of said disc-like member having an annular groove, a central socket and a plurality of slots extending from said central socket to said annular groove, said annular groove and slots being so oriented in relation to the duct in said body member as to insure flow of fluent material from the duct through all of the slots extending from the central socket and means on the outer face of the disc-like member bearing a definite relation to the slots in the inner face for engagement by feed means for presenting said disc-like member to said second socket to insure such'oriented relation to the duct when the disclike member is mounted within said second socket.

2. An aerosol dispenser button comprising a body member having a first socket adapted to communicate with the discharge opening of a receptacle containing fluent material under super-atmospheric pressure to be discharged upon operation of a check valve which normally closes said opening, a second socket, a duct providing fluid communication between said first and second sockets, a disclike member securely mounted in said second socket and having a central discharge opening therethrough, the inner face of said disc-like member having an annular groove, a central socket and a plurality of slots extending from said central socket to said annular groove, said annular groove and slots being so oriented in relation to the exit'end of the duct in said body member as to insure against the exit of said duct being in alinement with any of the slots extending from the central socket and means on the outer face of the disc-like member bearing a definite relation to the slots in the inner face for mechanical engagement by means for presenting said disc-like member to said second socket to insure such oriented relation to the duct.

3. An aerosol dispenser button according to claim 2, wherein the means on the outer face of the disc-like mem- 4. ber for mechanical engagement extend outwardly from said outer face of the disc-like member.

4. An aerosol dispenser button according to claim 2, wherein the means on the outer face of the disc-like member for mechanical engagement extends diametrically of the disc-like member.

5. An aerosol dispenser button according to claim 4, wherein the outer ends of the slots in the inner face of the disc-like member are equally spaced apart and the center line of the diametrically extending means on the outer face of the disc-like member overlies the lands between the outer ends of two adjacent slots.

6. An aerosol dispenser button according to claim 4 wherein the means on the outer face of the disc-like member for mechanical engagement is a rib.

7. An aerosol discharge button comprising a body member having a first socket adapted to communicate with the discharge opening of a receptacle containing fluent material under super-atmospheric pressure to be discharged upon operation of a check valve which normally closes said opening, a second substantially cylindrical socket the base of which is flat, a duct for establishing fluid communication between said first and second sockets, a disclike member mounted in and seating against the base of said second socket in fluid-tight engagement and having a central discharge opening therethrough, the inner face of said disc-like member. having an annular groove, a central socket and a plurality of slots radiating from said central socket to said annular groove, said annular groove and slots being so oriented in relation to the duct in said button as to insure flow of fluent material from the duct through all of the radiating slots .to the central socket and a diametrical rib on the outer face of the disclike member for engagement by feed means for presenting said disc-like member to said second socket in said aforementioned oriented relation to the duct, said disclike member being formed of harder material than said body member and having an inwardly tapered outer periphery of slightly larger diameter than said second socket tapered radially inwardly toward the inner face of the disc-like member and biting into the cylindrical wall of said second socket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,183,150 5/1916 Williams 239465 1,213,563 1/1917 Williams 239-465 1,293,108 2/1919 Judson 239468 1,738,332 12/1929 Sutfin 239-497 2,083,282 6/1937 Thompson 239463 2,702,957 3/1955 Cooprider et al 239-468 2,767,023 10/1956 Venus 23949l 2,786,719 3/1957 Kingsley 239-463 3,120,348 2/1964 ODonnell 239-490 ROBERT R. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, IR., Examiner.

' R, S, STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AEROSOL DISPENSER BUTTON COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SOCKET ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF A RECEPTACLE CONTAINING FLUENT MATERIAL UNDER SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO BE DISCHARGED UPON OPERATION OF A CHECK VALVE WHICH NORMALLY CLOSES SAID OPENING, A SEOCKET SOCKET, A DUCT PROVIDING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SOCKETS, A DISCLIKE MEMBER SECURELY MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND SOCKET AND HAVING A CENTRAL DISCHARGE OPENING THERETHROUGH, THE INNER FACE OF SAID DISC-LIKE MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE, A CENTRAL SOCKET AND A PLURALITY OF SLOTS EXTENDING FROM SAID CENTRAL SOCKET TO SAID ANNULAR GROOVE, SAID ANNULAR GROOVE AND SLOTS BEING SO ORIENTED IN RELATION TO THE DUCT IN SAID BODY MEMBER AS TO INSURE FLOW OF FLUENT 